This invention relates to a process for pattern dyeing of textile materials whereby improved pattern definition may be achieved. In one aspect the invention relates to a process whereby a chemical interaction takes place between components of a dye solution and components of a textile pretreatment solution to produce a reaction product.
Textile materials have heretofore been pattern colored with natural and synthetic dyes by numerous processes, such as transfer printing, jet dye injection, screen printing and the like. Further, such processes have been employed to print a color decoration on the surface or surfaces of the material in definite repeated forms and color to produce a pattern. While such prior art dyeing processes have met with success, problems have nevertheless been encountered in the pattern dyeing of textile substrates. For instance, when pattern dyeing textile materials, problems have often been encountered in that the repeating units of a pattern are not sharply defined; frosting occurs on the dyed material, and the color is not uniform throughout the dyed textile material. Many of these problems have been thought to result from undesired migration of the dyestuff after it has been applied to the textile material but prior to its actual fixation to the textile material.
Numerous attempts have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems without much success. For instance, it has been suggested to reduce the dye migration problem by incorporation of an antimigration agent in a dye solution. Among the antimigrating agents known in the prior art are natural gums; poly (vinyl methyl ether/maleic anhydride) derivatives as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,427; melamine formaldehyde and urea formaldehyde resins as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,522; Kelgin RL (Kelco Co.); Superclear 100N (Diamond Shamrock); and the like.
The use of antimigration agents has found restricted application in the textile dyeing industry. Some agents merely increase the viscosity of a dye medium without controlling dye migration significantly. Other agents tend to coagulate dyestuff values and reduce color yield. Also, the selection of the quantity of antimigration agent to be employed can be critical, and consequently the control of dye medium viscosity may be difficult.
Accordingly, it is a main object of this invention to provide a process for achieving attractive pattern effects on textile materials with improved sharpness, uniformity and color yield.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved process for applying sharply delineated dye patterns on a flat textile material by controlling dye migration.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention shall become apparent from the accompanying description and examples.